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Sam Newberg has 20 years of consulting and market analysis experience. Since April 2006, he has owned and managed his own consulting practice as President of Joe Urban, inc. Prior employers include Colliers Towle (now part of Cushman and Wakefield), Maxfield Research and Dahlgren, Shardlow and Uban (now Stantec).

East Lake Street Market Study. To assist the Longfellow Community Council (LCC) determine reasons for high commercial vacancy along the East Lake Street corridor, Joe Urban, inc. completed a commercial market analysis to assist the community group with solutions, which include a stronger vision for the corridor, use of a form-based code to achieve that vision, partnering with or engaging a catalytic developer to push for redevelopment in select portions of the corridor. LCC is pursuing opportunities in the corridor using the report as a basis for its effort.

Lyn-Lake Small Area Plan Market Study. As part of the Community Planning and Economic Development Department at the City of Minneapolis, Joe Urban, inc. completed a housing and commercial market analysis for the Lyn-Lake Small Area Plan. The study helped the city and community understand the future market potential, which will inform planning and zoning decisions in the area. Click here for a copy of the Lyn-Lake Market Study.

University Avenue Corridor – St. Paul. Working with the Minneapolis-based Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, Joe Urban, inc. completed a for-sale housing demand estimate for a half-mile radius around each planned light rail station along the proposed corridor. The demand estimate informed the resulting plan, prepared by Toronto-based Urban Strategies for the City of St. Paul. A copy of the plan can be found here – Central Corridor Planning Strategy

Ford Plant Redevelopment. Worked with Colliers and the city of St. Paul Port Authority to determine housing demand on the 125-acre Ford Plant site in St. Paul. Provided housing estimates in 2007 in conjunction with extensive planning effort. Link to the city’s Ford Plant redevelopment website here. Link to the Colliers market study here. There remains uncertainty as to when, or even if, the plant will close, but when it indeed does, it presents remarkable potential for sustainable urban redevelopment.

Twins Ballpark Site. Provided critical housing research on the downtown Minneapolis market for colleague and former co-worker and boss Tom O’Neil of Market Research Partners. Mr. O’Neil worked with Leonard, Street and Deinard, who were hired by Hennepin County, and prepared a report and provided expert testimony on the market for housing related to the condemnation of land for the Twins ballpark site. Along with expert opinon and thorough reporting by appraisers also hired by Hennepin County, the court ruled the housing market was weaker than the landowners believed. The resulting ruling put the value of the land at $23.8 million, significantly less than the $65 million the landowners were seeking.

Hotel market study in downtown Minneapolis – private client.

Condominium market study in downtown Minneapolis – private client.

Housing market study as part of a master planned development in Inver Grove Heights – private client.